Snap
by Myrielle
Summary: An Alternative Version spin-off from Love Letter. Yi Jeong brings Ga Eul to the house he has bought, wanting to spend as much time with her before returning to Sweden the next morning. Several glasses of wine later, an innocent game of Snap takes a risqué turn as the stakes get higher. For every game lost, one piece of clothing goes, as does Yi Jeong's self control…
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: An Alternative Version spin-off from Love Letter.

Yi Jeong brings Ga Eul to the house he has bought, wanting to spend as much time with her before returning to Sweden the next morning. Several glasses of wine later, an innocent game of Snap takes a risqué turn as the stakes get higher. For every game lost, one piece of clothing goes, as does Yi Jeong's self control…

Warnings: Limes/Lemon, R

SNAP

It was still a big house to her, although Yi Jeong had warned her not to expect the opulence of his parents' home. He seemed slightly nervous and she realised that occasionally, he would look at her, as though to gauge her reaction to his future home.

The interior designers had done an excellent job, dressing up the home in warm, muted shades with the occasional splash of colour. Something was missing though… "Where are the ceramics?"

He smiled. She liked the house and he was both pleased and relieved. "I don't stay here Ga Eul yang and while I employ cleaning staff to maintain the place, they don't live here as well. Obviously I have a security system in place but there's no sense in tempting burglars and thieves."

Hmm, she hadn't thought of that. "So what do you think of your new place?"

She was busy peering into a room and admiring the floor to ceiling dark gold curtains that gleamed almost seductively, and hence missed the warm look in his eye as he watched her. "I think it's perfect," he said quietly, looking away only when she turned around as he pretended to scrutinise the feature wall in the hall. It would be perfect for displaying art pieces of all kinds. His mind went back to the small lotus bowl that she had crafted and left in his studio. It would fit in here perfectly too.

"So, what are we going to do then?"

A number of answers sprang to mind that he pushed away at once. Firstly, Ga Eul yang would probably slap him and demand he send her home. Secondly, he hadn't brought her here to seduce her. He had brought her here because he wanted to see her in this place, his first home which he had bought using his own money, and not his family's.

"I want to take a look at the rooms upstairs. And then we can go to the kitchen. I hope you know how to cook."

"Cook? Me?" She practically squeaked as she watched him take the stairs smoothly, two steps at a time. As much as she wasn't given to gushing and in spite of the panic she felt, Ga Eul wasn't beyond noticing how slim yet muscular his legs were. It was unfair for anybody to look that good in pants. "Sunbae, I can only cook porridge," she called, looking in exasperation at his rapidly disappearing figure.

He had left instructions for the staff to leave fresh ingredients in the dry store and also the refrigerator. "That'll be fine. I'm pretty sure we have rice here. You can have a look at what else is in the fridge later." He stepped into the master bedroom and stopped short at the entrance. He blinked and shook his head slightly before opening his eyes. It was an impressive bedroom alright, with a dark ornate bed frame, a high mattress swathed in dark sapphire sheets that had the kind of gleam only pure silk gave off, and full floor to ceiling curtains in a rich dark grey. But that wasn't the cause of his reaction. It just looked a little too similar to the bedroom of his fantasies, the one that featured Ga Eul and him together doing all kinds of things that would, in reality, cause his little innocent to never speak to him again if she ever found out.

He must have had more on his mind than he had known when he had given instructions for the décor, Yi Jeong thought wryly. It was a little hard not to entertain those fantasies at the moment, especially since she was in the house with him.

"Is this your bedroom?"

The sound of her voice next to him caused him to jump a little. "When did you get here?"

"I just got here. You've got three other rooms on this floor. Why do you need so many rooms?"

"So you and I can get lots and lots of practice," he thought, staring down at her as she surveyed his room, looking suitably impressed. "I might need the space. It's always best to be prepared. Besides, I'm used to a big house and this is already smaller than what I'm accustomed to."

"Smaller than what you are accustomed too?" she echoed in slight disbelief. "This is bigger than most houses in the market. Hey!"

He'd taken her by the hand and was now pulling her down the stairs again. "Come on, let's go check out the studio. I had one specially built behind the house."

"Really? Why didn't you say so earlier? But after that, you're following me to the kitchen. Since you made me the chef for the evening, I'm appointing you my assistant."

"Your wish is my command."

"If only that were true," she thought, rolling her eyes at him. If Yi Jeong sunbae really had been hers to command for a day… Ga Eul tried not to flush as her mind took her back to the night before. If their handphones hadn't started ringing…She shivered slightly as she remembered the touch of his tongue against her lips, urging her to open her mouth more for him. Oh, who was she kidding, she wanted him to kiss her again and his words in the shop were ringing in her ears with crystal clarity.

She had to stop thinking about such things. Yi Jeong would be shocked if he knew she was harbouring such thoughts. No, no such thing was going to happen. They were going to cook dinner, watch television and DVDs, play some computer games and spend as much of the night talking before his flight tomorrow. That was all that was going to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: An Alternative Version spin-off from Love Letter.

Yi Jeong brings Ga Eul to the house he has bought, wanting to spend as much time with her before returning to Sweden the next morning. Several glasses of wine later, an innocent game of Snap takes a risqué turn as the stakes get higher. For every game lost, one piece of clothing goes, as does Yi Jeong's self control…

Warnings: Limes/Lemon, R

SNAP

II

Dinner turned out to be not bad. And Yi Jeong was a decent assistant, although he couldn't cut in a straight line, which was very strange for a man who made his living by creating intricate works of art. They had eaten seafood porridge, which Ga Eul suspected was tastier than what she normally made because of the freshness of the ingredients.

"Is there any dessert?" she asked as she surveyed the games they had scattered on the lush carpet that dominated the centre of the hall. They had brought out board games, a deck of cards, a Playstation Three had been hooked up to the enormous flat screen television with a pile of games stacked beside it. Idly, Ga Eul decided to go through the pile of board games. Surely there would be one she had played before.

"I'm not sure, I could check," he said, turning over the video games to read the synopsis on the back of the cover. Most of the games involved just one player; he'd forgotten to request for two player games. It could still be fun though, teaching her how to play the game. Not to mention the other games he could teach her. Unfortunately, she might not be that willing to play. Sighing slightly, Yi Jeong rubbed his neck. He was not doing himself any favours by entertaining such thoughts.

"Sunbae, want to play Command and Conquer?"

For one moment, Yi Jeong felt an exquisite rush of excitement even though he realised that she was only talking about the game. He wanted her so badly that he would have volunteered to let her tie him up and have the control. "Erm, no, I don't quite feel like it," he replied quickly.

"Why? I'm pretty good at this. Scared that I'll beat you?" she teased, unaware of the turmoil that her words were causing him.

'Oh I wish Ga Eul yang, I wish,' he thought wistfully. "That's not fair then. It'll be like me challenging you to a game of chess. Find something we both should be able to play. I'll go see if there is dessert." The cold air from the fridge would do him some good too.

Yi Jeong disappeared from the hall before she could say anything else. Ga Eul stared in his direction, feeling a little perplexed. Was the prospect of losing that terrible to him? Then again, she shouldn't be surprised. He was part of F4, the richest of the rich and extremely talented and handsome to boot. Losing was probably a word that didn't feature in his dictionary. "Hmm, something that we both should be able to play eh?" she murmured as she looked over the games.

Her eye fell on a deck of poker cards and Ga Eul smiled to herself. She'd barely played any gambling card games at all and she didn't intend to because Yi Jeong would win hands down. However, the cards could serve another purpose.

….

Yi Jeong let the icy air from the fridge wash over him as he peered inside, welcoming the coolness on his hot skin. How was it possible that Ga Eul yang was driving him wild inside without even trying to? 'That's because she's different from all the others.' If he thought a little deeper, he would probably come to the conclusion that what was also different about the situation was him. He actually had feelings for her, feelings that had frightened him, that he was gradually coming to terms with. She meant more to him than he could admit now. In time though…

Refusing to give more thought to the matter, Yi Jeong pushed it away. He didn't want to spend the night ruminating about his feelings for her or trying to come to grips with his sneaking suspicion that he had fallen in love. He wanted to be with her, in her company. He wanted something that he could take back, a lovely memory to sustain him for the next two years in Sweden. Ji Hoo had been right; the longer he stayed, the harder it was becoming to leave her.

"Sunbae, what's taking you so long?" she called from the hall. "I've found a game already."

Ga Eul yang liked food so much that she probably wouldn't be fussy about whatever he brought. Besides, that rich dark chocolate cake looked pretty good, much nicer than the mango pudding. Taking out the whole plate, Yi Jeong also noticed the dessert wine and after a moment's hesitation, pulled that out. Normally he would have searched for a red wine but Ga Eul probably had never drunk a drop in her life and wouldn't like it. A dessert wine would be easier on her and would complement the bitterness of the chocolate.

"Here you go," he announced. As he set the dessert and wine down on the coffee table, he noticed that she had divided the poker cards into two even piles. "Ga Eul yang, there's no poker game that's played like that."

"Yes I know. We're going to use these cards to play Snap. It's easy enough and I'm sure you played that as a child." Ga Eul's eyes were glued to the chocolate cake. Otherwise, she would have noticed the slight smile that Yi Jeong promptly concealed.

Jun Pyo used to throw tantrums as a child because Yi Jeong could beat him silly at Snap wearing an eye patch and with one hand tied behind his back. In fact, none of the other F4 members could touch him and Ji Hoo was already very fast. Ga Eul yang wouldn't stand a chance, he thought smugly. "Here, drink this. It goes well with the cake."

Ga Eul looked at the half full glass he held out to her. "I… err... I don't really know how to drink."

"This is dessert wine; it's meant to compliment desserts with a slightly bitter taste, like this dark chocolate. Just try a bit."

There was no harm in it, she supposed. If she didn't like it, she didn't have to drink it. As she lifted the glass to her lips, the sweet fragrance of the wine suffused her. "It's nice," she exclaimed after a tentative sip. Before he could stop her, she took a long swallow, emptying the glass. "Can I have some more?"

She'd been willing to try some for his sake and he didn't want to point out that one didn't drink dessert wine that way. Besides, this wasn't a social function and if she liked it, she should have it. Pouring enough to fill her glass midway, he poured some for himself too. For awhile, they sat in contented silence as they finished the cake and a good deal of the wine.

Yi Jeong was a little surprised to find that after his last bite of cake, that his vision was sharper, the colours more vibrant. The signs were familiar to him: he was feeling slightly high from the alcohol. Picking up the bottle, he realised that it was more than three quarters empty.

"Can you turn up the air conditioning?" Before he could do anything, Ga Eul had reached for the remote and pressed the button several times. "Sorry sunbae, but I feel so warm suddenly.

Oh dear, that didn't sound so good. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were especially bright. Her lips were a very rosy shade of red and Yi Jeong forced himself to look away. There was no mistaking the fact that Ga Eul yang was high too, probably a lot more than he was.

"That was really nice chocolate cake. The wine was nice too," she said and then giggled. "So, are we going to play or not?"

He doubted that she was in any condition to play but decided that there was no harm in a game or two. "Let's play." After that he would make coffee for both of them.

"So, what are the stakes?"

Yi Jeong blinked. "Stakes? You want to bet money?"

"Of course not sunbae. I obviously don't have enough to bet like that with you. It'll have to be something else…"

She and Jan Di had always played Snap with stakes. They weren't allowed to gamble with money so it was usually always a treat for the winner or prized marbles or stamps from their now defunct collections. It always made the game a little more exciting.

Suddenly Ga Eul realised that although she was perspiring slightly, Yi Jeong looked completely unaffected. Why did he always have to look so composed, with his jacket, and his vest, his shirt and his perfect tie? Hmm, come to think of it…

"Why do you always have so many layers of clothes on?"

He could hardly have been more surprised than if she had asked him to explain the works of Clarice Cliff and Charlotte Rhead. "Ga Eul yang, I think perhaps…"

"No, no. I've been wondering about it actually. How come you are always covered up? Even in New Caledonia at the beach, you never took your shirt off. Sunbae, are you shy?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Hmm, you don't sound so convincing. Tell you what, how about we bet this?"

Whatever it was, he wasn't going to agree to it. After her series of bizarre questions, it was clear the alcohol had significantly loosened her inhibitions.

"For every game lost, the loser has to take off one article of clothing."

Was this a test? Because it was not right to test a person when they were already in a weakened state of mind. Inhaling deeply, Yi Jeong tried to banish the idea of Ga Eul taking off her clothes in front of him. He couldn't do this. It wasn't right—

"Sunbae, are you scared?"

Yi Jeong narrowed his eyes. If there was one thing he hated, it was being called chicken. "I'm not scared. It's just that I think you…aren't thinking properly at the moment. Why don't we play something else?"

"Just one game then. If I win, we play. If you win, we'll do something else of your choice."

Right now what he wanted was to push her onto the sofa and— 'Think of the pottery, think of the pottery.' Usually it worked but at the moment, all he could think of was the pottery sequence from the movie Ghost. Swallowing hard, he tugged on his collar. "Alright, one game." For their sakes, he was going to have to win it.

On her count, they started tossing out the cards. Queen of Hearts, two of spades, three of clubs…the colours and numbers flashed in front of his eyes. And then two aces were flipped on top of the pile.

"SNAP!"

Yi Jeong stared in disbelief at the slender hand beneath his. It wasn't possible. Was she better than him?

"I win sunbae," Ga Eul fairly crowed. And then she gave him a look that made his mouth go dry. "Go on, take off something."

"Ga Eul yang…" She didn't know what she was getting herself into, what she was getting them into.

"You promised sunbae."

When she used that kind of tone with him, it was hard to say no. No matter, he would win the next game and put a stop to this. But first, he would get even.

Yi Jeong reached down and unbuttoned his jacket before shrugging out of it. "I get to deal this time," he said, a competitive gleam in his eye.

"Whatever you say sunbae," she quipped. To be honest, she was more than happy to let him deal. It was a good thing she had been seated because the sight of him taking off his jacket made her knees go weak. Somewhere at the back of her mind, Ga Eul realised on some level she might be playing with fire. At the moment however, she was having too much fun to stop.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: An Alternative Version spin-off from Love Letter.

Yi Jeong brings Ga Eul to the house he has bought, wanting to spend as much time with her before returning to Sweden the next morning. Several glasses of wine later, an innocent game of Snap takes a risqué turn as the stakes get higher. For every game lost, one piece of clothing goes, as does Yi Jeong's self control…

Warnings: Limes/Lemon, R

SNAP

III

"Snap! Sunbae, you lose. Again."

Ga Eul looked like the cat that had eaten the canary and all the cream as she watched him take off his other sock. Yi Jeong tried his best not to scowl. He was a gentleman; gentlemen did not hold grudges when they lost. Still, it was one thing to lose one round. It was another to lose three times in a row. And to think that he had never even been beaten once by his F4 buddies. Okay, he had lost once but that was because Jun Pyo had decided to put a rare thousand year old vase on a side table where Yi Jeong could see it in all its glory. So that didn't count because Jun Pyo had cheated.

'But to be beaten by a girl who's high on dessert wine…' Yi Jeong tried not to wince as he shuffled the cards and distributed them again. He would just have to try harder.

It was working. Ga Eul tried not to smile too broadly as she started drawing out her cards. The cracks were starting to show in his composure and to be honest, she thought he was adorable. Yi Jeong sunbae could be incredibly worldly wise in some ways but in others, he was like a little boy. He certainly pouted like one when he had lost the second time—

Too late, she noticed the pair of Jacks that were sitting atop the pile.

"Snap!" Yi Jeong grinned shamelessly. "Finally."

"Well, it was about time."

"Needling me is not going to work Ga Eul yang. Now, what will you take off for me?"

"I'm not taking anything off for you," she said a little too quickly. "I'm just following the rules." Uncrossing her legs, she started to peel off the black tights that covered her right leg. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Yi Jeong had gone perfectly still. He had been shuffling the cards initially but now he had stopped. All his attention was on her.

Usually such a thing would have embarrassed Ga Eul but the wine had worked its magic and a deeply buried reckless streak in her had been awakened. Slowly, she rolled the material over her skin, stretching out her leg a bit more than necessary, brushing her fingers over her smooth skin.

He'd always thought that Ga Eul had a little bit of a daredevil streak in her but he hadn't expected to see it like this. She was tempting him; he'd realised that at once. But what he hadn't counted on was how much it would affect him. The tempo of his pulse had picked up and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her legs.

With a small flourish, Ga Eul pulled off the remainder of the material from her foot and dangled it between her thumb and forefinger, a half smile on her lips before she reached out and dropped it on the floor. Her heart was pounding in her ears, as much from nervousness as it was from excitement. It felt good, to be the one in control for once. She'd never known she could affect him this way.

"Sunbae, aren't you supposed to be shuffling?"

"Right," Yi Jeong muttered. Ga Eul yang was normally very sweet, loving and wise beyond her years in some aspects. That was why he lo—why he cared so much about her. But at the moment, the alcohol had turned her into a little minx and there was nothing that Yi Jeong would have liked better than to show her what was going to happen to her if she chose to play with this kind of fire.

Forcing himself to calm down, he dealt out the cards swiftly. And then on her count, they started. The cards were a blur of colours and numbers all jumbled up. Faster and faster they threw out the slender pieces, eyes watching for the matching pair. Yi Jeong had about decided that the round would end up in a stalemate when he spotted the pair of eights that fell atop the pile.

"Snap!"

Ga Eul frowned and bit her lip, slightly perplexed by her loss. While it was clear she was better than him, it was perhaps only by a little. 'This is what happens when you get complacent,' she scolded herself. She started tugging off the other half of her tights when suddenly, Yi Jeong reached over and brushed her hand away.

"Allow me," he murmured as he hooked his fingers around the tight band.

She should stop him. She should push his hands away and tell him to keep them to himself. Instead, she sat there, wide eyed with her mouth slightly opened from astonishment as he smoothly pulled her tights off. He ran his knuckles swiftly over the curve of her calf, sending goosebumps erupting over her skin.

"What are you doing?" she demanded belatedly as he gently placed her tights atop the other half lying on the floor.

"The same thing as you were just now," he replied knowingly and this time, her face turned warm from embarrassment, not the alcohol. "Your turn to shuffle," he said and bit back a grin as she practically snatched the cards from him. She reminded him of an angry kitten, only that she was cuter.

She had to win this time. Unlike Yi Jeong who still had his tie and vest on, in addition to his other clothes, she had run out of most options. For a few seconds there was silence, and then a blur of movement as both of them spotted the two queens.

'I don't believe it,' Ga Eul thought numbly as she stared at Yi Jeong's hand. His skin was so warm beneath hers. How had he beaten her to this? If luck were a lady, she was certainly on Casanova's side! Ga Eul looked down at her clothes uncertainly. Apart from her blouse and her shorts, there was only her underwear left and she certainly didn't want to take those off either.

Yi Jeong was about to press her into making a decision when a brilliant idea occurred to him. Right now, he was past getting even with her. This game had become exciting for a whole different reason and while he acknowledged that it might get out of hand, he didn't want it to end. Neither did he want Ga Eul to end the game the moment she won the next round. She wanted him, last night had been a clear indicator of that and he wanted her too. A lot. There was one way of keeping her in the game until it was too late to withdraw.

"How about I help you out this time?" he offered and she frowned suspiciously at him.

"Help me out?"

"Instead of you taking off something, I'll do it. After all, I was wearing a lot more than you were to begin with."

"And the catch would be?"

'Smart girl,' he thought. "You'll take it off me."

Ga Eul swallowed hard. How could he say that and look so unaffected? If she didn't know better she would have thought he played this game with every girl he took home. Wait, maybe he had. No, he wouldn't. This was different, what they had was different. She didn't know exactly what it was, only knew that they had both worked hard and trusted each other to develop their bond. "Erm, take what off?"

"My vest and tie. Then we'll be even."

It hardly made any sense given the fact that the aim of the game was to ensure that the other person lost more clothing that you did. However, it was difficult to think, given that her brain was in an uproar and her heart was slamming so loudly against her ribs that it was a wonder he didn't hear it. With trembling fingers, she leaned over, and reached for the buttons of his vest.

What had turned out as a move to seduce her had now backfired on him. She was so close he could smell the familiar peach scent of her hair and if he but leaned in, he would be able to kiss her. His breathing had turned rapid and shallow, as had hers.

As she slid the vest off his shoulders, Ga Eul tried not to notice how appealing his aftershave smelled, how broad his shoulders were, or how warm he felt beneath her hands. She tried to ignore the thought of being wrapped in his arms as she struggled to unknot his tie. Thankfully, the silk came undone at the last moment and she tugged it off, dropping it together with the heap of clothing.

He managed to stop himself from reaching out to stop her as she drew back from him. The silence had grown thick with the tension that vibrated between them. Quietly, she dealt out the cards and this time, there was no more light-hearted banter.

Ga Eul was too affected by the entire experience and wondering if it was too late to stop, if she even wanted to stop, when she realised that Yi Jeong had just thrown down a five a second after her. "Snap," he said, never taking his eyes from hers, his hand pressed firmly on the cards before she had even started to reach for it.

"I…I don't think—"

"You should finish what you started Ga Eul yang," he said softly. "Now, where were we?"

She licked her lips, contemplating what she should do. Of course she could stop the game at any time; Yi Jeong would not make her do otherwise. But he would be disappointed. Heck, she would be disappointed. Besides, as much as the modest and level headed side of her was screaming at her to stop, there was another side that wanted to see what would happen if she saw this game through to the finish. 'Actually, it isn't that you don't know. You just want to confirm if what you think will happen… might happen.' If she didn't take this chance, she might never know.

She was going to refuse to continue. Yi Jeong felt the fist pangs of disappointment as he braced himself for her request that they do something else. So be it, perhaps it was for the better. They'd been apart for two years and this was only their second day together, if last night even counted as a full day. It might be too soon to—

"Turn around sunbae."

"What?"

"I said turn around. Please."

Yi Jeong stared as Ga Eul got to her feet. There was apprehension on her face, and another emotion there, one that made her eyes gleam so brightly as she looked down at him. It was desire. He did as she asked him, but in the silence, every rustle of fabric seemed magnified. Yi Jeong could feel his own body responding even as he willed himself to calm down.

"Okay, I'm done now."

The sight of her seated primly with her legs folded carefully beneath her was a dead giveaway. "Stop staring at me," she whispered. The intensity in those smoky dark brown eyes was devastating to her self control. Although she felt mortified, the same thrill that she had experienced earlier on had returned; she knew he was equally affected by her as she was by him.

She was seated less than two feet away from him, without her underwear on and she expected him not to stare? She'd all but told him that she was willing to find out where this would take them. And she had to have a pretty good idea that it would end up with both of them having no clothes on. "I'm not made of stone you know," he murmured as he gathered the cards and arranged them in a neat pile.

Ga Eul didn't say anything. She watched him as he gave her the cards, wondering if there was even a point to playing anymore. Win or lose, it would hardly make a difference now. This was just putting off the inevitable.

She saw the two aces at the same time he did. She almost made it there before him.

For the longest time they just sat there, both of them staring at their hands, and the cards crushed beneath them, caught in the calm before the storm.

"Snap," Ga Eul whispered.

She looked up in time to see Yi Jeong reaching for her, his hand grasping the collar of her blouse as he pulled her up to meet him in a deep, searing kiss that told her this was the endpoint, there was no turning back.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: An Alternative Version spin-off from Love Letter.

Yi Jeong brings Ga Eul to the house he has bought, wanting to spend as much time with her before returning to Sweden the next morning. Several glasses of wine later, an innocent game of Snap takes a risqué turn as the stakes get higher. For every game lost, one piece of clothing goes, as does Yi Jeong's self control…

Warnings: Limes/Lemon, R

**SNAP**

**IV**

Yi Jeong stared at Ga Eul's hand, at his own palm that was pressed against the cards. He'd won the round. But it hardly mattered. He knew, with unerring certainty, what was about to follow next. He only hoped that somehow, they were ready for it.

"Snap," Ga Eul whispered so softly under her breath that he almost couldn't hear it. But it broke the strange paralysis that had fallen on them. Their eyes met and even then, he was already reaching for her, his hand grasping the collar of her blouse as he pulled her up to meet him in a deep searing kiss.

Yi Jeong slanted his mouth over hers with desperate fervour, using his tongue to part her lips almost impatiently. He wanted to taste her, to claim her, to show her with his mouth all the things he wanted to do to her with his body. He heard a groan as their tongues met and he didn't know if it came from her or him or them, only that she was warm and willing in his arms as he drew her body tightly against his.

If Yi Jeong hadn't been holding her up, Ga Eul was sure she would have collapsed on the floor. The taste and smell of him overwhelmed her senses and she moaned as he rubbed his tongue against hers, exploring her mouth as his hands did the same with her body. Those strong slender fingers she admired had tugged her blouse out of her shorts and were now roaming over her bare skin, caressing and rubbing every part he could reach. It felt like she was on fire.

As much as he wanted to rip off her clothes and take her there and then, Yi Jeong knew that this was Ga Eul's first time and he didn't want to frighten her. Forcing himself to go slow, he ended the kiss, lifting his mouth from hers. She opened her eyes and he felt himself sinking into those luminous orbs. He wanted so much to please her, to make this perfect for her.

If he stopped now she might lose her nerve. Driven by desire and the need to distract herself from her doubts, Ga Eul slid her hand behind Yi Jeong's neck and pulled him down to kiss her. He groaned softly and encouraged, she slipped her tongue into his mouth, stroking him. She could taste the sweetness of the wine as she sucked gently on his lower lip.

So much for going slow. He was the far more experienced one but she was driving him out of his mind with her boldness. Pulling her hand down, he pressed her fingers against his shirt. "Take it off," he whispered urgently against her lips.

"W-what?"

"Now, Ga Eul yang. Quickly." He trailed his lips across her cheek, dropping light kisses as he made his way to her ear. As he traced his tongue over the delicate curves, he felt her trembling fingers fumbling with the buttons as she slowly worked them free.

When she was done with the last button, Ga Eul slowly pushed the soft material from his shoulders and down his arms. She couldn't pull her eyes away from his body and of their own volition, her hands reached up, caressing his skin lightly. She wanted to tell him that he was beautiful, but she couldn't get the words out; she felt too shy. He was slim but toned, and until then, she had not realised that Yi Jeong worked out. There was no other way he could've gotten those well defined muscles.

His breath caught as her hands went lower and lower, until she reached the waistband of his pants. She stopped and he knew she was unsure of what to do next. Taking her hand, he pressed it against his arousal. She gasped and tried to pull back but he wouldn't let her. "It's alright. Don't be afraid. I want you sweetheart. This is my body's way of showing it."

"You like this?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh yes, yes I do," he replied, touched and amused by her innocence. He was about to ask her if she wanted to stop when she started to rub him slowly through his pants.

The hand around her wrist tightened with almost bruising force. He wasn't kidding about liking this, Ga Eul thought as she continued stroking him, cupping the large swell beneath his pants in her palm, pressing against him as his hips arched against her. His breath was hot and heavy on her neck as he whispered her name, sending a thrill down her spine. She loved knowing that she could do this to him, in spite of her inexperience.

If she kept this up, their lovemaking would end even before it had properly begun. Ignoring her startled protest, he pushed her hand away. Before she could react, he reached for her blouse. "I want to see you," he murmured. She flushed, her cheeks bright red but she didn't stop him as he tugged the garment up, lifting her arms for him as he pulled it off.

Ga Eul's first instinct was to cover herself but Yi Jeong wouldn't let her. He stroked her arms, his eyes drinking in the sight of her bare golden skin. He'd imagined this moment so many times, especially when he'd been half a world away from her in Sweden and left only with memories. "You're beautiful," he said quietly, sliding his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. And then swiftly, he leaned down and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. He couldn't wait anymore.

His hands slipped behind her back and unclasped her bra, pulling it off. And then his hands were cupping the swells of her breasts as she cried out against his mouth, her fingers digging into his back. She felt so good, better than anything in his imagination, Yi Jeong thought as he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples before lowering the both of them to the floor. Tearing his mouth from hers, he trailed hot wet kisses down her neck, across her delicate collar bone as she sighed softly.

"Sunbae…" Ga Eul whispered, feeling like she was sinking into an abyss of pleasure. And then she realised where his mouth was going. "Sunbae, don't—" The words died in her mouth as his lips closed over her nipple, his tongue rasping hard over the sensitive bud, forcing her to arch against him. "Oh…"

She writhed beneath him as he suckled one breast, then the other. Her nails scored his shoulders and Yi Jeong knew he would have light scratches on them the next morning. Well, that would make them even he thought, as he sucked hard on her skin, leaving red marks, branding her as his.

Yi Jeong dropped one last kiss on her nipple before moving back up to claim her mouth. Her hands roved restlessly over his back, trying to pull him down to her but he resisted. She only realised what he was up to when he undid the button of her shorts and pulled her zipper down.

"Yi Jeong sunbae…"

"Trust me Ga Eul yang," he whispered and she nodded even though she was clearly nervous.

"We're not going to stop, are we?" she murmured.

"No we're not." As though to cement that statement, he tossed her shorts onto the pile of clothes next to them. "Do you want to stop?" If she really wanted to he would, although Yi Jeong was quite sure that the frustration alone would kill him.

"No," she replied, to his great relief, as she buried her face against his neck. "I'm just scared."

There was a good chance that he would hurt her, simply because it was her first time. But he could make up for that now. Nudging her legs apart, he trailed his fingers lightly over the smooth skin of her flat belly before dipping them lower. Ga Eul tensed as he pressed the palm of his hand against her before parting her delicate folds. She was so warm and wet. Breathing in deeply, Yi Jeong focused on pleasuring her. He could wait, this was for her now.

It was as though all the blood in her body had rushed to her head. His fingers stroked her flesh, his thumb rubbing the highly sensitive spot right in the centre between her legs. Liquid heat seemed to spill down from her belly to her feet as she raised her hips. As though sensing her unspoken request, he quickened his strokes.

Yi Jeong watched as she bit her lip, her eyes shut tight as she held on to him, took in her sweet sighs and soft cries as she climaxed. When she was finally able to catch her breath, he released her quickly, shedding the rest of his clothes before gathering her in his arms again.

She knew what he wanted as he settled himself between her legs. "Yi Jeong ah, kiss me," she said, unaware that she had just called him by his name alone for the first time.

He gladly obliged, understanding her need to be distracted from her fears. Dropping soft kisses on her lips, he stifled his own groan as he started to enter her, pushing in as gently as he could. She winced a little but she returned his kisses, lifting her hips slightly to accommodate him as he finally sheathed himself inside her fully.

"Ga Eul yang, are you alright?"

She opened her eyes to see him leaning over her, his own eyes dark with passion and worry. The anxiety in his voice touched her; she knew he was holding himself back because he was afraid of hurting her further.

"I'm okay." The pain was all but gone, although the warm pressure felt strange. But it was Yi Jeong inside her and that was all that mattered.

He tried to slow down but his body had taken over. Grinding his hips against hers, he thrust in as deeply as he could, faster and faster as he felt fierce pleasure grip his body. She was so tight and slick around him, it was almost more than he could bear. He heard her cry out, felt her tighten around him and it sent him over the edge. With a low groan, Yi Jeong drove into her one final time as he tensed and then shuddered, spilling himself deep inside her.

He collapsed on her, his forehead pressed against hers, their breaths intermingling as they lay panting in each other's arms. When he could finally think coherently, Yi Jeong rolled onto his side, taking Ga Eul with him.

Stroking her soft hair, Yi Jeong looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and even. Ga Eul yang had fallen asleep on him. Usually he was the one who rolled over and fell asleep; it was his first defence against having dreaded pillow talk with women whom he would leave even before first light. But he didn't want to sleep now, not that he wanted to talk about anything in particular either; he suspected that there would be plenty of things that Ga Eul and he needed to sort out after tonight. But he wanted her awake with him, to share in the silent contentment of the moment.

However, there was no waking her. Hence, Yi Jeong settled for the next best thing. Scooping her up, he lay her down on the sofa, switched off the air-conditioning so that they wouldn't freeze, and then held her as close to him as he could before finally falling asleep.


End file.
